NBA Projected Starting Lineups, Matchups, Injury News – 01/16/19

You can find all today’s starting lineups here. Follow live updates on Twitter.

For live betting information on all games, click here.

Injury News

For the most up to date injury information, click here.

Bucks: None

Cavaliers: None

Celtics: Kyrie Irving (quad) is day-to-day. Marcus Smart (illness) and Aron Baynes (hand) are game-time decisions.

Clippers: Jerome Robinson is day-to-day.

Grizzlies: Marc Gasol (elbow) is day-to-day. Kyle Anderson (ankle) is out 2-4 weeks.

Jazz: Ricky Rubio (hamstring), Dante Exum (ankle), Thabo Sefolosha (hamstring) and Raul Neto (groin) are out.

Magic: Mo Bamba (foot) is out.

Mavericks: Dennis Smith Jr. (illness) is questionable. JJ Barea (Achilles) is out for the rest of the season.

Nets: Jared Dudley (hamstring) is out. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (groin) is probable. Shabazz Napier (hamstring) is questionable.

Pelicans: None

Pistons: Zaza Pachulia (leg) and Henry Ellenson (ankle) are day-to-day.

Raptors: OG Anunoby (personal) is out. Fred VanVleet (thigh) and CJ Miles (hip) are questionable.

Rockets: Clint Capela (thumb), Brandon Knight (knee), and Chris Paul(hamstring) are out. Eric Gordon (knee) is questionable.

Spurs: Rudy Gay (wrist) is expected to play. and Marco Belinelli (knee) is questionable.

Trail Blazers: Mo Harkless (knee) is out.

Warriors: None

Today’s NBA Matchups

Contents

Orlando Magic (19-24) at Detroit Pistons (18-24)

Line: Pistons -3.5, O/U: 207

Pistons: 107 ppg, above average defense, average pace

Magic: 103 ppg, average defense, slow pace

Notes:

• The Magic beat Boston and Houston on back to back nights, and they’ve gone 5-5 in their last ten.
• Terrence Ross has averaged 17 points per game in his last five, including 25 in the win over Boston.
• Detroit has won less than a quarter of their games since beating Golden State in early December.
• Blake Griffin is averaging 26, 5.5 and 5.5 in his last ten as the Pistons have gone 2-8.

Brooklyn Nets (22-23) at Houston Rockets (25-18)

Line: Rockets +5, O/U: 208

Rockets: 111 ppg, bottom-five defense, bottom five pace

Nets: 111 ppg, below average defense, slower than average pace

Notes:

• James Harden scored 57 on the second night of a back to back, on a night without Eric Gordon, Chris Paul, or Clint Capela. Houston beat the Grizzlies 112-94.
• Nene Hilario started at center, but scored just 2 points in 14 minutes. Gary Clark played 26 minutes off the bench, scoring 8 points.
• The Nets beat Boston 109-102, building a lead as big as 27 in that game thanks in large part to 34 points and 7 assists from D’Angelo Russell.

Milwaukee Bucks (31-12) at Memphis Grizzlies (19-24)

Line: Bucks -8.5, O/U: 217

Bucks: 118 ppg, top five defense, top five pace

Grizzlies: 101 ppg, top ten defense, bottom five pace

Notes:

• The Bucks have won eight of their last ten, while the banged-up Grizzlies have lost eight of their last ten.
• Milwaukee dismantled Miami last night 124-86. Every Buck scored, seven scored between 10 and 20, and nobody played more than 26 minutes.
• Kyle Anderson is out for a few weeks with an ankle sprain, and Marc Gasol might miss this one with an elbow injury.
• A thin frontcourt means more run for Jaren Jackson Jr., Joakim Noah, JaMychal Green, and Omri Casspi.

San Antonio Spurs (25-20) at Dallas Mavericks (20-23)

Line: Even, O/U: 218

Spurs: 112 ppg, average defense, slower than average pace

Mavericks: 110 ppg, above average defense, faster than average pace

Notes:

• The Spurs were scalding hot from December into January, but they’ve lost three of their last four.
• A big reason for that is the absence of their third option Rudy Gay with a sprained wrist, but he should be good to go for this one. He’s averaged 14 points and 7 boards per game this year.
• DeMar DeRozan has hit a rough patch, averaging just 17 points on 40% shooting in his last five.
• Luka Doncic’s is averaging 25 points, 7 boards and 6 assists over his last five games, and he dropped 31 on the Spurs in a 113-108 loss earlier in the year.

Cleveland Cavaliers (9-35) at Portland Trail Blazers (26-19)

Line: Trail Blazers -13.5, O/U: 218

Trail Blazers: 111 ppg, average defense, average pace

Cavaliers: 103 ppg, worst defense in the NBA, bottom five pace

Notes:

• Portland just lost two games on the road in Denver and Sacramento, but they’re 18-7 at home while Cleveland is 4-18 on the road.
• Damian Lillard scored 35 but turned it over 6 times in the loss to the Kings, and he’s shooting just 40% from the field in his last five.
• The Cavs have gone 2-13 in the last month, but beat the LeBron-less Lakers in LA on Sunday.
• Noted LeBron celebration assistant Cedi Osman had 20 points and 8 rebounds in that game.

New Orleans Pelicans (21-23) at Golden State Warriors (30-14)

Line: Warriors -7, O/U: 241

Warriors: 117 ppg, average defense, faster than average pace

Pelicans: 117 ppg, bottom-third defense, third-fastest pace

Notes:

• In January, the trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant is averaging 87 points, 14 assists, and 14 rebounds per game.
• Golden State blew out Denver last night to become the first team out West to 30 wins and overtake the Nuggets at the top of the standings.
• The Warriors have many things, but they don’t have anyone who can guard Anthony Davis one-on-one. AD is averaging 34 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks in his last ten games, and he had 46 and 16 in LA on Monday.
• The Pelicans are actually 6-4 in that stretch after some tough sledding earlier in the year.

Utah Jazz (24-21) at Los Angeles Clippers (24-19)

Line: Clippers -1.5, O/U: 224

Jazz: 108 ppg, top ten defense, slower than average pace

Clippers: 116 ppg, below average defense, top ten pace

Notes:

• The Clippers have lost three straight, getting blown out in Denver and then beaten at home by the sub-.500 Pistons and Pelicans.
• The Jazz are dealing with longer term injuries to key ball-handlers Ricky Rubio and Dante Exum, but they’ve won four straight.
• Donovan Mitchell has scored 25 or more in his last six games, the first Jazz player to do that since some guy named Karl Malone. Mitchell is averaging 31 per game in his last five, shooting 47% from the floor and 48% from deep.

Marquee Matchup

Toronto Raptors (33-12) at Boston Celtics (25-18)

Line: Celtics -2, O/U: 223

Celtics: 112 ppg, third-ranked defense, slower than average pace

Raptors:

Notes:

• The Raptors have won five in a row, including a double-overtime thriller in Washington.
• Kawhi Leonard scored 41 in that one, and he’s averaging 30 points and 7 rebounds per game in his last ten.
• OG Anunoby is out for this one, and CJ Miles and Fred VanVleet are questionable.
• The Celtics just lost three straight on the road to below average teams in Miami, Orlando, and Brooklyn.
• Kyrie Irving called out his young teammates after blowing a double-digit lead in Orlando, then walked it back before missing the embarrassing loss in Brooklyn with a quad injury that he said won’t keep him from this Raptors game.